November 17, 2018- The World Summit on Biological Diversity officially opens today, bringing together countries from around the world in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, until 29 November, with the aim of integrating biodiversity into the energy, mining, production, processing and health sectors. The Summit was preceded by the High-Level Segment, in which representatives of the Conference of the Parties, the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity, have been working, together with actors from civil society, business, indigenous and local communities, youth and Governments, among others.
The fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) is being held in parallel with the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COPMOP9) and the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (COPMOP3). The theme of this COP 14 is “Investing in biodiversity for people and for the planet”.
During the days leading up to the Summit, the High-Level Segment took place, which this year is especially important as it was held two years before the fulfilment of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, which includes the Aichi Targets.
THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
The Convention on Biological Diversity is the only international instrument that comprehensively addresses biodiversity conservation. The three objectives of the Convention are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
The operation and development of this Convention is fundamentally based on the decisions adopted by the Parties during the Conference of the Parties (COP).
The meetings of its Parties, the Conference of the Parties, take place every two years and bring together the highest-level representatives to discuss the state of biodiversity in the world and agree on actions to reverse its deterioration.
The 10th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010, agreed on a Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, a ten-year framework for action to save biodiversity and enhance its benefits to people. Within this plan are the so-called Aichi Targets, which make up a set of 20 targets, among which is, for example, to protect at least 17% of land and inland areas and 10% of marine and coastal areas by 2020.
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR BUSINESS AND BIODIVERSITY
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held, during the High-Level Segment, the Business and Biodiversity Forum with the Global Business and Biodiversity Alliance, a global network of platforms on the subject. The Spanish Business and Biodiversity Initiative (IEEB), which is coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition, is part of this platform. Its objective is to share information and good practices, as well as to cooperate in projects of common interest that support the integration of biodiversity into business models.
During the Forum, the Practical Guide to Ecological Restoration was officially presented, a useful tool for companies and for the administration.
This guide is aligned with the objectives of COP 14: to integrate biodiversity into the energy, mining, infrastructure, industry, and production and health sectors. It will be a methodological reference for natural capital restoration actions and has been a collaborative effort between the Biodiversity Foundation and six of the IEEB companies: Endesa, Ferrovial, Iberdrola, LafargeHolcim, Naturgy and OHL. With more than 100 experts who have collaborated with specific contributions or reviews, “it represents a global work that brings together the vision of administrations, the business sector, the academic sector and conservation entities,” Castañeda said during the meeting.
